Dive Brief:
- Target has relaunched Auden, its private label intimates and sleepwear brand. The refresh, which is set to debut in stores and online on Sunday, includes over 100 new sleepwear items in addition to underwear, bras and bodysuits. In total, the brand will include over 600 items, the company said in a Monday announcement.
- All of the items in the collection are $40 or less. As part of the revamp, Target is also introducing an Auden Luxury Collection. It described the addition as “an expanded line of elevated intimates crafted with innovative fabrics” that’s designed for daily wear.
- The company said most of its Auden products are independently tested and certified to be free from over 350 harmful chemicals in accordance with Oeko-Tex standards.
Dive Insight:
Target first launched Auden in 2019. At the time, the company said a survey said Target was womens’ top choice when shopping for bras, underwear and pajamas. Five years after its debut, the retailer crowdsourced feedback as part of the brand revamp.
“After speaking with thousands of women, we saw an opportunity to provide a wider range of quality, on-trend intimates and sleepwear products at affordable price points for life’s many moments,” Jill Sando, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of apparel and accessories, home and hardlines, said in a statement.
Target has introduced new private labels and relaunched or expanded the reach of several in-house brands this year. In February, it debuted Dealworthy, a low-price everyday basics brand. That same month, Target relaunched and expanded its Up&Up private label. Then, in March, the company said it planned to debut its Cat & Jack children’s apparel brand in Canada in a collaboration with retailer Hudson’s Bay.
Target’s Q1 sales dropped 3%. Although apparel was down low single-digits for the first quarter, the category saw a nearly four percentage point improvement in comparable sales from the fourth quarter, Christinia Hennington, Target’s chief growth officer, said during a May earnings call.
“The performance and young contemporary categories delivered comps in the high single-digit to low double-digit range, with guests responding favorably to our new spring fashion sets, new offerings within All in Motion owned brand and our limited time partnership with Diane von Furstenberg,” Hennington said according to a call transcript. Apparel and accessories represented 15% of sales by merchandise category, according to Target’s 2023 annual report.
During the same call, COO and CFO Michael Fiddelke said the company is making progress in reducing complexity on the apparel floor and in its back rooms, which in turn, is driving the cost of digital fulfillment down and boosting overall efficiency.
